A 17-year-old worked as an errand runner for several drug dealers and concealed drugs in a fire extinguisher at an HDB block’s wet riser.
He received payment for completing 80 separate jobs after collecting and repackaging the substances.
Prosecutors emphasized the gravity of his offenses and requested a sentence of 13 years and one month in prison along with 10 strokes of the cane.
The defendant, now 19, pleaded guilty to three charges on Monday (10 Mar 2025), including drug consumption and breaking laws under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.
Eleven additional similar charges were considered for sentencing.
Media outlets cannot publish the defendant’s name and personal information because he was under 18 when the crimes occurred, as required by the Children and Young Persons Act.
The defendant was a student during the period of the offenses.
In April 2022, he connected with a drug dealer named Anthony through Telegram and began working as an errand runner for payment.
His duties included collecting, storing, and repackaging goods for Anthony before delivering them to others.
Through this work, he established connections with additional drug dealers and performed errands for them as well.
On September 19, 2022, a drug dealer offered the defendant $350 to collect four blocks of cannabis hidden inside a fire extinguisher.
After checking with Anthony, the defendant accepted the job.
Around 7:00 PM that evening, after returning from tuition classes, the defendant followed instructions to retrieve the fire extinguisher containing cannabis from the HDB block’s fire riser.
He contacted a friend who knew about the plan and asked to use his room to handle the drugs.
With his friend’s agreement, the defendant called a familiar driver to transport him to the friend’s condominium.
At the location, the defendant carried the fire extinguisher upstairs and, with his friend’s help, broke it open in the bedroom to extract the cannabis.
The pair was caught by surprise when Central Narcotics Bureau officers, acting on received intelligence, conducted a raid on the unit, seized the drugs, and arrested both individuals.
Testing showed the fire extinguisher contained 11 compressed plant blocks with at least 329.88 grams of cannabis.
The defendant later confirmed he intended to follow the dealer’s instructions to keep and later transport the drugs to others.
Investigations found the defendant had received 80 payments for his work as an errand runner, ranging from $50 to $800 per job, with $4,607 in criminal proceeds remaining in his bank account.
A urine test revealed the defendant had consumed drugs. He admitted to taking ecstasy two weeks before his arrest.
